More allegations against Franken met with silence

A woman

ST. PAUL, MINN. — says Al Franken pulled her in tightly and put his hand on her buttocks in 2010 while posing for a picture at the Minnesota State Fair, the second allegation of improper conduct against the Democrat and first involving his time as a senator.

Lindsay Menz told CNN last week for a report broadcast Monday that the interaction with the Minnesota senator made her feel “gross.” She said she immediately told her husband that Franken had “grabbed” her bottom and that she posted about it on Facebook.

Menz’s story comes days after a Los Angeles broad- c aster, L ee ann Tweeden, accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour. Franken already faced a Senate ethics investigation over Tweeden’s allegation, but the Menz allegation is potentially more damaging for Franken because it would be behavior that occurred while he was in offiffice.

Franken, a Democrat, told CNN he didn’t remember taking the photo with Menz, but said in a statement to the network that he feels badly that she felt disrespected.

“I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don’t remember taking this picture,” Franken told CNN. “I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling dis- respected.”

Franken’s office did not respond to Associated Press messages seeking comment on the latest allegations.

With the Capitol empt y due to Thanksgiving break, reaction to the latest allegations against Franken were muted compared to an outcry last week — and Democrats nationally and in Minnesota were silent.

Senate Majorit y Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, repeated a statement from Thursday calling for an ethics investigation of Franken. After publicly denouncing Franken’s conduct and supporting that investigation last week, no powerful Democrats had spoken out by Monday afternoon about Menz’s allegations.